Along an assembly line, diapers and various types of other absorbent articles may be assembled by adding components to and otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web of material. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material are combined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples, individual components created from advancing webs of material are combined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are then combined with other advancing webs of material. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapers may include: backsheets, topsheet, absorbent cores, front and/or back ears, fastener components, and various types of elastic webs and components such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, and waist elastics. Once the desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) and component parts are subjected to a final cut to separate the web(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles. The discrete diapers or absorbent articles may also then be folded and packaged.
Various methods and apparatuses may be used for attaching different components to the advancing web. Some processes join elastic components such as waistbands to an advancing web. The waistbands may be joined to the advancing web in a stretched condition. In some processes, the components advance in a first direction and are joined with a continuous length of absorbent articles advancing a second direction. In some processes, the waistband material may be advanced in a first direction, stretched, rotated, and advanced in a second direction before being applied to an advancing web. However, rotating and advancing the waistband material in the second direction before attaching the waistband material to an advancing web adds cost and complexity to manufacturing processes. Therefore, it may be beneficial to provide a simplified method and apparatus for joining components advancing in a first direction to absorbent articles advancing in a second direction without rotating and advancing the components in the second direction.